To learn more about how Dr. Barbara Tatham used her own illness to teach others about the importance of empathy, please read "White Coat to Blue Gown".
"She laid herself bare for everyone to see just how hard it can be to be a patient, and in doing so, made all of us want to do better.... Barb’s honesty about her poor prognosis was painful to hear but she had clearly confronted her own humanity and mortality in a way that few of us ever will.” Source: e-Dialogue College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
Undergraduate Medical Education: From White Coat to Blue Gown
I was incredibly honoured to once again facilitate this annual lecture in memory of Dr. Barbara Tatham at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.
Barbara was a medical student at McMaster University and went on to become an innovative Family and Emergency Room Physician and collaborative Medical Educator. After enduring a courageous battle with cancer, at the age of 32, Barbara died on October 16, 2019, a few short weeks after delivering her final extraordinary undergraduate medical education lecture, Barbara left us with her last lecture, a precious legacy, recorded at McMaster, selflessly demonstrating her indomitable spirit and compassion.
We have been fortunate to maintain contact with Barbara’s family since 2019. Their hope is that medical students while remembering Barbara’s empathy, will consider their own humanity as they go on to care for patients, families and themselves.
FREE Death Café at McMaster University: August 9th (6-8pm)
I am honoured to facilitate a FREE Death Café on Wednesday August 9th (6-8pm) at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University on behalf of The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About.
Registration is required for this FREE Death Café via Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/death-cafe-tickets-668976405437
Please note: Death Café is an international movement where people, often strangers, gather to eat, drink tea and discuss death. The objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’.
At Death Café, you can expect a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group. Please note that Death Café is NOT a grief support group, nor is this a grief counselling session.
Death Café is a respectful, public event where people of all communities and belief systems are welcome to have discussions about death. Interesting conversation is guaranteed! For more information, please visit Death Café https://deathcafe.com/
Planning for My Care: Proud, Prepared & Protected
April 16th is National Advance Care Planning Day in Canada
Planning for My Care part of Proud, Prepared & Protected is a FREE booklet focusing on care conversations 2SLGBTQ+ people and healthcare providers to start conversations about values, wishes and concerns to help identify who you would want to make decisions, your Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) on your behalf should you not be able to make decisions for yourself.
Access FREE via https://www.virtualhospice.ca/2SLGBTQ/media/igkp01nf/2slgbtq-planning-for-my-care.pdf
Many who are 2SLGBTQ+ have experienced or witnessed discrimination and ignorance in a healthcare setting. You may have received inappropriate care or, even worse, been denied care. Some healthcare workers are not aware of the challenges the 2SLGBTQ+ communities face.
This document, focusing on care conversations for Two-Spirit and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and all sexual and gender-diverse people, is intended to help you think about what is important to you, concerns you might have, and who you would want to make decisions for you if a time comes when you can’t make decisions for yourself.
Consider giving a copy of this document to the important people in your life, and sharing this information with healthcare providers. Take it with you when you attend appointments, call 911, visit the emergency department, or access other healthcare services. If your province or territory has a process for documenting your wishes for care, ensure this information is included on those documents and kept in the same place.
Source: Canadian Virtual Hospice
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
For more information on advanced illness, advance care planning, palliative care, end-of-life care and grief, please visit:
Canadian Virtual Hospice www.virtualhospice.ca
Advance Care Planning Canada values a free, accessible and open shared knowledge amongst the community. The website provides you with all the necessary tools to inform yourself on the most recent advanced care planning updates and developments. For more information and FREE resources, visist: https://www.advancecareplanning.ca/
The 100% Certainty Project: FREE Event
I am honoured to be a member of both The 100% Certainty Project and the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University.
The 100% Certainty Project, in partnership with Epic Books, PX Dermody Funeral Homes and the Hamilton Public Library, advocates that issues of #death, #dying, #grief and #bereavement need to be “reclaimed” by the community - by private citizens who are accustomed to end-of-life care being provided by our #healthcare system.
The 100% Certainty Project is hosting a FREE MOVIE at The Westdale Theatre in #HamOnt on Monday, March 27th (6:45pm). JOIN US in the beautifully renovated historic Westdale Theatre as we view the film (based on the #1 New York Times bestseller A Man Called Ove, a previous 100% Certainty Project book selection). This celebration-of-life story is a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks!
“Meet Ove (a.k.a. Otto) - the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a #sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.
Fredrik Backman’s beloved first novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound #impact one life has on countless others.” (source: Simon & Schuster)
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED ON EVENTBRITE via https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-man-called-otto-free-screening-tickets-581260484757
Medical Education: Honouring life, love, loss and legacy at McMaster University
Incredibly honoured to facilitate the Annual Dr. Barbara Tatham Memorial Lecture & thank her sisters Erica, Deanna & Laura for joining us to demystify grief, honour loss & explore healing while caring for others and ourselves. Honouring Dr. Tatham's life, legacy and brilliant contributions to Medical Education at McMaster University.
Honouring person and family-centred care is ESSENTIAL from time of diagnosis, throughout treatment, into remission, at end-of-life, and into bereavement.
A cancer diagnosis is traumatizing. Finding community, support and connection is essential in the face of trauma. Stories of others moving through trauma are always important in post-traumatic growth (Tedeschi & Calhoun). Strength is often correlated, almost paradoxically, following an increased sense of being vulnerable - of being human.
Today, please take a moment to connect with your breath, honour your strengths and make space for who and what matters most in your life. ❤️
Today is the Annual #TerryFoxRun. To support Dr. Tatham's life, legacy and indomitable spirit in the face of cancer, please donate to #TeamBarb https://run.terryfox.ca/team/teambarb
The ARQ of Grief Support
The ARQ of Grief Support:
Awareness
Reflection
Questions
The ARQ of Grief Support via NACG, The Dougy Center & KinderCare is a framework you can use to create meaningful, supportive interactions with children, teens and adults facing grief, loss & grieving
Source: https://childrengrieve.org/12-resource/309-resources-2
Supporting children and youth who have a family member with an advanced serious illness
Supporting children and youth who have a family member with an advanced serious illness via NACG The Dougy Center & KinderCare
At some point, we all encounter a child or teen who is living with the anxiety of a family member’s life-limiting illness. You can have the opportunity to be a support person, providing empathy as they face the serious illness, grief, loss and perhaps death, of a family member.
Some considerations include: Listen, Acknowledge, Understand, Provide Consistency, Help, Safety, Provide Resources
Source: https://childrengrieve.org/12-resource/309-resources-2
The Saturation of Grief in the time of COVID, Honouring Loss and Exploring Healing
Honoured to present "The Saturation of Grief in the time of COVID, Honouring Loss and Exploring Healing" for Ethics and Diversity Grand Rounds organized by Ethics & Care Ecologies Program at Hamilton Health Sciences with Dr. Andrea Frolic.
Exploring universal yet unique experiences of loss and grief in healthcare, alongside the stigma, and creating brave spaces for healing is essential - for ALL involved - especially now.
Trusting that even the longest, hardest endings lead to brand new mornings.
Sharing the beautiful words and artwork from Morgan Harper Nichols.
"You will grow how you were meant to. One morning you will wake up and realize that even though so many things aren’t the same anymore, there is still more in store. Because knowing 'there is more in store' doesn’t mean believing that everything will be easy, it means trusting that even the longest, hardest endings lead to brand new mornings.
In this life you will have moments that leave you speechless. You will look to the one you love and wonder, how on earth did you get to live this life. You will also have nights that leave you restless where you are left to ask, what will it look like to survive. And you will also have a billion moments in between. You will weave in and out of beginnings and endings and somehow, through it all, you will end up growing in the way you were meant to. You will be tender and you will be strong and you will be glad you lived to see beautiful things flourish, even though they took so long. You will heal along the journey. You will find: you were always learning. Strength was rising up within you. You bloomed how you were meant to. MHN"
Function in the Midst of Dysfunction: Supporting Families Facing Serious Illness
Talking About Death Won't Kill You: The 100% Certainty Project
"Most of us are ill-prepared to face what lies ahead. In a death-denying society, how do we ready ourselves for our human fate? How do we prepare for the end of our lives?
To this end, The 100% Certainty Project uses books to spark dialogue amongst citizens with the hope that grassroots efforts begin to build the social fabric we all will need at end-of-life. The project attempts to de-medicalize the experience of death & dying and engage community agencies and activists. We encourage the public to read and talk about books – books with themes of death, dying, bereavement, and loss. By facilitating conversation at dining room tables, in coffee shops and on street corners across Greater Hamilton and beyond, this reading initiative aims to increase public awareness about death & dying and lessen society’s discomfort facing death." Source: The 100% Certainty Project
Please join us for the first in a series of FREE public events. As part of the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University with McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences, and our "The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About" initiative, together with Heart House Hospice, am honoured to co-host and moderate this event at the Mississauga Library with my brilliant friend and colleague Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller. While the event is free, registration is required via the Mississauga Public Library at (905) 615 4835.
In support of National Hospice Palliative Care Week, we'll hear about her experiences as a parent and spouse facing a cancer diagnosis, as a Social Worker in Palliative Care and as an academic researcher and educator. At this event, Kathy will share her insight and explore some of the big questions about living and dying. We'll also open up the conversation to the audience - questions are welcome. Please email questions in advance to our "100% Certainty" email address: talkaboutdeath100@gmail.com or, join us and ask Dr. Kortes-Miller directly. Her book "Talking About Death Won't Kill You. The Essential Guide to End-of-Life Conversations" will also be on sale at each event.
Please join us for this FREE public event. As part of the Division of Palliative Care with McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences, and our "The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About", am honoured to co-host and moderate this event at the Hamilton Public Library with my brilliant friend and colleague Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller. While the event is free, registration is required via Eventbrite
Please join us for this final evening in our series of FREE public events. As part of the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences, and our "The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About", together with Carpenter Hospice, am honoured to co-host and moderate this event at the Burlington Public Library with my brilliant friend and colleague Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller. While the event is free, registration is required via the Burlington Public Library at (905) 639 3611.
Free Family Event Celebrating Life, Death and Meaningful Connections
Grief and Loss impacts Everyone.
Am honoured to co-host and co-facilitate this free public event. In support of Children's Grief Awareness Day and National Bereavement Day, "The 100% Certainty Project – Death: Something to Talk About" is hosting a FREE public event for parents and children at the Hamilton Public Library. Please join us for:
- a reading of the children’s book The Funeral by Matt James, award-winning Author
- a creative family activity exploring grief, loss and meaningful connections
- grief and bereavement resources from Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association & Canadian Virtual Hospice
CBC Books on The Funeral: "This sensitive and life-affirming story will lead young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who have gone before us"
Please note, this is not a counselling session or grief support group.
While this is a free event, registration is REQUIRED via: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/free-public-event-for-parents-and-children-on-grief-and-bereavement-tickets-50531981517
Exploring the Language of Loss: Caring, Supporting and Empowering
Honoured to offer "Exploring the Language of Loss: Caring, Supporting and Empowering" as the Opening Keynote for the PalCare Network 2018 Fall Symposium.
This workshop will explore the language of loss while also examining tools and resources to support individuals, families, and ourselves.
Objectives:
1. Examine the impact of loss in person and family-centred care
2. Encourage the caregiver to engage in the dialogue of loss
3. Explore self-care as an essential element of professional practice
For more information about the PalCare 2018 Fall Symposium, or to register, please visit: http://www.palcarenetwork.org/
From Diagnosis to Bereavement: Engaging the Public Across the Continuum
Excited to present "From Diagnosis to Bereavement: Engaging the Public Across the Continuum" at the 2018 Partners in Care: Central West Palliative Care Network Annual Conference.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Consider systems challenges impacting care of people facing dying and loss;
2. Examine psychosocial implications for individuals, families and healthcare providers facing illness, grief and bereavement;
3. Explore compassionate community events as essential opportunities to engage the public following a life-limiting diagnosis through to bereavement.
For more information, or to register, please visit: http://cwpcn.ca/en/annual-conference/
End Game Documentary and Discussion
Excited to co-host and participate on the panel for the launch of the 2018-9 season of "The 100% Certainty Project. Death: Something to Talk About". Join us for a screening of the Netflix documentary, "END GAME" followed by a conversation with Palliative Care clinicians.
Our free public event at McMaster University features the brilliant documentary "End Game" from Shoshana Ungerleider, MD highlighting the essential tenets of Hospice Palliative Care. The film showcases the collaboration, compassion and communication as the heart of person and family-centred care at UCSF Medical Center with Steven Pantilat and the extraordinary interprofessional team. The film also highlights the brilliant work of Zen Hospice Project, showcasing Dr. BJ Miller and the extraordinary interprofessional team in Hospice.
Please join us for this engaging event! While the event is free, registration is required via Eventbrite via https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/end-game-documentary-and-discussion-tickets-50535681584
Almost all Canadians would benefit from palliative care. Only one in seven can actually access it at end-of-life
“The key to providing decent palliative care is a little bit of basic planning. Four conditions – cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD (lung disease) and diabetes – account for 70 per cent of deaths.
Those chronic conditions all have fairly predictable courses of illness in the terminal phase. You don’t get diagnosed with lung cancer or heart failure one day and die the next. It’s a months-long process and providing pain relief (palliation) should be standard, and a priority.
Two in three people receive home care in their last year of life. But only one in seven receive palliative care in the home.
That’s the failure point – and that’s what we need to fix.
There needs to be a commitment – philosophical and financial – to bringing palliative care to patients when they need it and where they want it.
Not everyone can (or should) be cared for at home in their final days. It’s back-breaking, emotionally-draining work for loved ones. Yet many would do so willingly and lovingly.
But they run up against a gross number of barriers, ranging from difficultly getting home visits from physicians (who are poorly remunerated for that work in many provinces), lack of nursing support (because of caps on home care hours), and absurd rules that mean drugs taken at home are not covered by medicare.
All the problems raised by the CIHI report are easily resolved. For example, having paramedics provide palliative care can eliminate transfers to hospitals. Sending doctors and nurses to homes or nursing homes can free up hospital beds – and save money in the process. Not to mention that, at the very least, people deserve a modicum of dignity in their dying days.
The whole point of palliative care is to improve quality of life. We shouldn’t let bureaucratic and structural inadequacies undermine that necessary and noble work.“ by the brilliant André Picard via The Globe and Mail
Professional Competencies with the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University
Thrilled to be teaching Professional Competencies with the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.
"In Pre-Clinical studies, Professional Competencies (Pro Comp) runs in parallel to the Medical Foundations. Groups of 8-10 students work with a pair of facilitators, one MD and one a clinician from a different discipline. The groups stay together for the entirety of Pre-Clinical, meeting every Tuesday morning for 3 hours. They explore material covering seven domains: effective communication, medical decision-making, moral reasoning and ethical judgement, population health, professionalism and self-awareness and self-care, interprofessional practice and social, cultural and humanistic dimensions of health." via https://mdprogram.mcmaster.ca/mcmaster-md-program/what-is-compass2/pre-clinical/pro-comp
Innovative Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Programs at Wilfrid Laurier University
Honoured to be teaching with the Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University again this year. Excited to be teaching "Social Work Practice with Groups" to the Undergraduate Bachelor of Social Work Program, and "Advanced Practice with Families" to the Graduate Master of Social Work Program.
For more information about the innovative B.S.W Program or the M.S.W. Program, please visit:
https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-social-work/index.html
Breaking Down Barriers in the Context of Complex Illness, Uncertainty and Grief
Am truly honoured to be presenting "Breaking Down Barriers in the Context of Complex Illness, Uncertainty and Grief" at the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers 2018 Annual Meeting and Education Day.
Serious illness, dying and grief remain taboo in society, yet the diagnosis of a serious illness has a profound impact on an individual and their loved ones, and often results in feelings of uncertainty, isolation and grief.
This presentation will explore the role of social work and social service work in providing compassionate care for individuals and families of all ages following the diagnosis of a complex illness, at end of life and into bereavement. I will speak to the roles of social work and social service work in providing education to demystify these issues and further advocate to break down barriers while promoting greater access to support, within our own practice and within our communities.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ocswssw.org/members/amed/2018-amed/
